African Nations Championship
Current season, competition or edition: 2009 African Championship of Nations | |
Sport | Football |
---|---|
Founded | 2007 |
No. of teams | 8 |
Continent | Africa (CAF) |
The African Championship of Nations is a football tournament which was announced on 11 September 2007 [1] It will be administered by CAF and will be competed for between the best national teams of Africa, exclusively featuring players who are active in the national championships and qualified to play the ongoing season. Expatriate players, regardless of where they play, even in Africa, cannot be qualified to take part in this new African Championship of Nations.
The first tournament was held in 2009. The first hosts will be Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The tournament will be held every two years, alternating with the African Cup of Nations. The qualifying phase will take place every even year and the final every odd year.
CAF has announced that the competition will be expanded to 16 teams for the next edition, to be held in Sudan in 2011.[2]
Tournament Formation
The creation of the African Nations Championship responds to the desire to revive or strengthen national competitions regularly weakened by a mass exodus of top players and others who leave less good also to destinations far less remunerative and media.
CAF hopes that the players in their national competitions can experience the joy of the selection and have the opportunity to integrate one day the selection for the African Nations Cup.
This also means that Africa continues football without its own playing expatriates and national competitions that may be losing ground everywhere on the continent can improve in quality and with popularity stakes.
Qualifying
Country | Qualified as | Date qualification was secured |
---|---|---|
Ivory Coast | Co-hosts | 2008 |
Morocco | Winner of North Zone qualifying | 13 December 2008 |
Senegal | Winner of West Zone A qualifying | 13 December 2008 |
Ghana | Winner of West Zone B qualifying | 14 December 2008 |
DR Congo | Winner of Central Zone qualifying | 14 December 2008 |
Tanzania | Winner of East Zone qualifying | 13 December 2008 |
South Africa | South Zone qualifying | 13 December 2008 |
Zambia | South Zone qualifying | 12 December 2008 |
Qualifying took place in knock-out rounds with teams drawn from each group. Fixtures were played over two legs to allow domestic players to gain more international experience.[3] The eight tournament spots were allocated the following way:
- 1 each for North Zone, West A Zone, West B Zone, Centre Zone, East Zone
- 2 for the South Zone
- 1 for the host country of the final tournament[4]
Tournament Format
Only one team can qualify for the tournament from each group, the exception is the South Zone where 2 teams are allowed to qualify. The competition hosts automatically qualify. In total 8 nations will compete in the full tournament.
Once qualified for the competition there will be two Pools A and B drawn at random - each team will have four nations who play each other once in the group.
The 3rd and 4th placed teams in both groups are eliminated.
The winner of group A will play runner up of group B The winner of group B will play runner up of group A
A third place play off will be played between the two nations who lost the semi final ties.
The final will played between the winners of the semi final ties.
On 03/08/2009, DR Congo defeated Ghana 2-0 [5] to become the first winners of the tournament.
Results
Year | Host nation | Final | Third Place Match | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champion | Score | Second Place | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place | ||||
2009 Details |
Ivory Coast | DR Congo | 2-0 | Ghana | Zambia | 2-1 | Senegal | ||
2011 Details |
Sudan |
See also
External links
References
- ^ BBC News, New tournament for Africa, 11 September 2007
- ^ BBC Sport CAF plans to expand CHAN Ibrahim Sannie, February 28, 2009, Retrieved on May 21, 2009
- ^ Kalumiana Kalumiana (2009-01-02). "African Nations Championship 2009". rsssf.com. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ CAF Online: New Competition launched : African Championship of Nations
- ^ BBC News, DR Congo lift CHAN trophy, 8 March 2009